Corn-knife.



J. P. HYLAN.

CORN KNIFE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 111;.

1,091,576. Patented Mar.31,1914.

J 12 lg 7 K 26 g, 3g Z9 3/ (56%?7'7065695: /0 1700672707 rem: P. PIYLAN, 01- STONEHAYM, BIASSAGHUSETTS CORN-KNIFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedll/Iar. 31, 1914.

Application filed February 12, 1913 Serial No. 747,833.

1 .'tmax concern: v 2, known that l, Joint-P. Hrs-ix, s of the United States, residing at \ullll, in the county of liliddlescx and c of Massachusetts, have invented cerl n new and useful Improvements in Corns; and I do hereby declare the followse a full, clear, and exact description to invention such as will enable others in the art to which it appertsins to 11d use the same,

present invention relates to corn 3 and more particularly to a knife for eornstalks in the field, v chisel of the present invention is to corn knife with which the cutting i: eusilv and eileetively delivered to stalks while the harvester is holdupper part of the stalks with his Min.

Another object of the present invention o conect the cutting blade with the so that the blade may be folded the handle when the knife is not in the cutting edge and prevent shove object-s in view, the prestion consists in the corn cutting Wineiter described and particularly out in the claims.

drawings which illustrate the pre- Ubodi ent of the present invention,

side view, taken partly in see- 9 corn knife with the bludeexthe position of the blade when folded in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is of the corn knife with the is an end view of the with the blade extended; and

ails/low illustrating particung' latch drawings, the corn cutfrnight wooden handle 1 s carried upon the end blade 2 extends laterally e "n a direction slightly a straight sharp (irectcd away from ist edge 3 lies in a t angles to the axis lie" at one side of intersect it, The o7 arm :tomied inteu end extending book at sub- *nt, glee to the cutting; edge of l i i l l E l i l l in use. joint, the handle 1 is provided with a stron metal tip 10 which has a socket 11 in whic the reduced endof the handle 1 is received. The end of the tip 10 is slotted to form two cars 12 between which the blade supporting arm l is received. A pin 13 is riveted in the cars 12 and extends across the slot between them to form a pivot pin for the arm 4. The end of the arm 4 is continued beyond the pin 13 to form a heel ll which engages a stop shoulder 15 atthe bottom of the slot so as [0 limit the movement of the ann 4 when it is turned out from the handle and hold it extended. A latch cooperates with the heel lel and shoulder 15 of the elbow joint to hold the blade 2 rigidly extended when in use and permits the blade to be folded back against the handle when not inuse, The latch :20 is formed by a metal bar extendin along the handle and parallel to it and mounted upon a pivot screw 21. The pivot screw 21 passes through the tip 10 and preferably enters the part of the wooden handle which is in the socket 11, and thus serves as a retaining pin to hold the tip 10 in place upon the wooden handle. The free end of the latch 20 has formed upon it an inclined surface 22 which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, is arranged to engage the arm 4 and hold it extended. The surface is slightly inclined so that when the parts become somewhat worn, the latch can move farther across behind the arm 4 and still hold the heel lei rigidly against its top shoulder 15, and thus compensate for wear. The other end of the latch piece 20 terminates in a leaf spring 25 which is loosely received in a staple 26. The spring 25 tends to move the end of the latch into position behind the arm 4 and keep the arm extended.

The latch 20 has a handle 27 which can be grasped with the thumb or finger to pull the latch to one side of the arm 4. to permit the arm to be folded against the handle, as indicated in Fig. 2. The end of the arm 4 which is received between the ears 12 is narrowed so that inclined shoulders 28 are formed between it and the thicker portion is folded against the handle, engages one of the shoulders 28 and delivers the cutting stroke, and the cutting straight sharp cutting inclined to the handle at a of the arm next the-blade. The end of the latch 20 has a nose 29 which, when the blade holds the blade in its folded position. When the blade is foldedagainst the handle, the sharp cutting edge is in a position in which it is not likel s to become accidentally dulled or to be dan-' gerous. Y

In using the knife. the harvester grasps a hill of cornstalks under his arm, and then cuts them near theground with a slashing stroke of the corn knife. The blade 2 is slight'angle so that it is about tangent to the curved path of movement of the blade when the harvester stroke is delivered in the most eiiicient manner, When the blow is delivered, the handle 1 can be held in a direction generally parallel with the cornstallrs so that the amount of stooping on the part of the harvester reduced to the minimum.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been specifically illustrated and described, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment but may be embodied in other nistructions Within the purview of the ention as forth in the following claims 1. A corn knife having, in combination, a handle, a blade having a substantially edge directed away from the handle, a supporting arm for the blade, an elbow joint formed between the mounted upon the pivot pin at its form an elbow oint with the handle. said other side of the handle and the arm having stops for limiting the movement ofthe arm when extended from the handle, a latch pivoted to the handle and arranged to engage behind the arm when it is extended and hold the arm rigidly against the stops of the elbow joint,

a nose on the latch for engaging the arm when, the blade is folded against the handle to hold it in its folded position, and a spring connected with the latch for holding the latch in engagement behind the arm when the bladeis extended. and for holding the nose in engagement with the arm when the blade is folded.

2. A corn knife having, in combination, a handle having a slotted end, a pivot pin extending across the slot, :1 blade having a.

substantially straight sharp cutting edge, a blade-carrying arm extending back s'ubstantially at right anglesto the cutting edge and end to slot being provided with a stop shoulder at its bottom on the opposite side of the pivot from the blade, a heel upon the arm for engaging the stop shoulder on the handle to limit the movement of the arm when it is extended from the handle, and a spring latch I pivoted to theliandle to move in a planeat right angles to the plane of movement of the blade, having its end adapted to engage the blade-carrying arm on theopposite side of the pivot from the heel so that the blade when in extended position is held rigidly in such position by the engagement of the heel "w of the blade-carrying arm with the shoulder on the one side of the pivot and by the engagement of the latch with the arm on the pivot, substantially as described.

JOHN P. YLAN.

\Vitnesses I'IORACE Van EVEREN, Grouse E. S'rnBmNs. 

